For farmers and environmentalists, sunflowers are the glue that keep traditional foes together

Farmers and environmentalists forge unlikely bond through sunflowersDespite a historically antagonistic relationship, New Jersey Audubon and a group of local farmers have come together in an innovative program that uses sunflower crops to bring in farming dollars while still supporting environmental goals. For the last four years, a handful of farmers have agreed to grow sunflowers and harvest and bag the seeds. As an incentive, New Jersey Audubon pays an above-market rate for the seeds and sells them as S.A.V.E. (Support Agricultural Viability and the Environment), the state's only locally-grown bird seed. The project is still in its infancy but seed sales have jumped from an initial three tons to almost 60 tons last year. Part of the proceeds are set aside for restoring grassland habitats for threatened and endangered birds.The repeated popularity of the sunflowers in bloom spurred New Jersey Audubon to arrange free tours of the fields at three farms around the state this weekend. (Video by Nyier Abdou/The Star-Ledger)

On a hot, startlingly blue Saturday morning, dozens of birding enthusiasts and curious daytrippers cruise into Mark Kirby's driveway and park in rows near the barn.

Kirby, who runs Derwood Farms in Hillsborough, is directing traffic with one hand and holding his granddaughter's hand with the other. This morning he will lead the visitors on a tour of his gloriously blooming sunflower fields -- an unlikely joint venture between a handful of local farmers and the birding group New Jersey Audubon.

This is new territory for Kirby, a first-generation farmer who grew up working on farms in Franklin Township and chairs the Somerset County Agriculture Development Board. Over the years Kirby has been a familiar face in the state's agri-politics scene, and he has frequently butted heads with environmental groups, including New Jersey Audubon. But things started to change four years ago, when Audubon's director of conservation and stewardship, Troy Ettel, began to aggressively court local farmers in an effort to find mutually beneficial projects.

"We started talking about ways that we could achieve the habitat objectives and the ecological objectives that we have as part of our mission, and at the same time, work with them to help sustain their local agricultural operations," Ettel said.

Overcoming decades of mistrust was slow going, but when the two sides struck on an idea to grow sunflower crops to produce certified Jersey Grown birdseed, things started to fall into place.

"They realized that we are not the enemy," Kirby said. "There are other conservation groups out there that really feel that we're evil."

A core group of farmers, including neighboring farmers Jim Laine, of Hillsborough, and Tom Zeng, of East Amwell, agreed to grow sunflowers and harvest and bag the seeds. As an incentive, New Jersey Audubon pays an above-market rate for the seeds and sells them as the state's only locally-grown bird seed -- the inaugural product of New Jersey Audubon's S.A.V.E. (Support Agricultural Viability and the Environment) brand.

The project is still in its infancy but seed sales have jumped from an initial three tons to almost 60 tons last year. Part of the proceeds are set aside for restoring critical grassland habitats for threatened and endangered birds.

"It's a Jersey Grown product that is grown in Jersey, bagged in Jersey, and sold in Jersey. The money stays with the local farmers and the economy," Kirby said.

Kirby says sunflowers require less fertilization and pesticides than his other crops and are a welcome addition to his crop rotation. They're also beautiful. People stop on the road to take pictures of his house when the flowers are in bloom and similar reports from farmers around the state prompted New Jersey Audubon to arrange free tours of sunflower fields this weekend. In addition to Derwood Farms, tours were held at Gibbs Quest Farm in Allamuchy, Warren County, and Shimp Farm, in Shiloh, Cumberland County.

"The same people who like the buy fresh, buy local concept for food, they really connect with a project like this that goes beyond food and looks at other crops and working with farmers in other ways," Ettel said.

"It reminds me of Van Gogh's paintings," said tour-goer Chandana Huggahalli, of Springfield, as she pushed a bottle of water on her two young children. "You only see them in the Museum of Modern Art -- now we can understand why he painted such beautiful pictures of them."

"They look great. It's a beautiful crop," agreed Bruce Morrison, of Chatham, a camera slung over his shoulder. "It's nice that two competing sides can get together and do something together, unlike our friends down in Washington."